Method of reclaiming electric lamps and mechanism therefor



sepf.21,1937. A M BUTLER 2,093,400

METHOD oF RECLAIMING ELECTRIC LAMPS AND MECHNIsM THEREFOR A Filed Jan. 3l, 1934 Patented sept. 2 1, 1937 t 2,093,400

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE:l

'METHOD OF RECLAIMING ELECTRIC LAMPS AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Albert M. Butler, Danvers, Mass., assignor, by y mesne assignments, to Corning Glass Works,

Corning, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 31, 1934, serial Nc.'1`o9,151

5- claims. (c1. 17e-v) This invention relates `to the reclaiming of ing or breaking theinount by means Vof a circular,- burned-out electric lamps and consists in a. novel heated wire introduced against its annularwall, method of treating the bulbs of such-lamps so or by various other expedients which will suggest that they may be reformed for reuse without loss themselves to those skilled in the art. It is essen- 5 of material. It also includes within its. scope tial only that the mount be cut along aline which 5 novel mechanism for carrying out the method of will leave at least some of the material of the the invention. g rim of the mount sealed to the neck of the bulb.

In one aspect the present invention consists in Since the method and mechanism of my ina further development of the commercial method vention is designed particularly for the treatof reclaiming electric lamps disclosed in U. S1] ment ,of tipless or base-exhausted electric lamps, 10 Letters Patent No. 1,920,528, granted August Vl, it becomes imprtantltoxdeal with the exhaustV 1933, to Butler and Lane, and in accordance withy stem ofthe lamp; whichis located within the which the neck of the bumed-out bulb is severed mount. Thisj'nay be broken off to admit atmoson aline which is usually located above the line pheric pressurefto the bulb p rior to the step of of juncture between the bulb and the are of the severing or parting the mount and, ifit is desired 15 lament mount. In following'the method ofrthat topreserve Aa portion of 4the stem.' for future use,

- patent, thereforaa `small amount of material is'. this may' be done by protecting the end of the lostfrom the end of the neck of the bulb. This tube'gby any suitable means from' the severing is not usually objectionable unlessthe bulb is Iihaine or other medium. In thisyconnectionfan subjected to repeated reclaiming operations, but; important Afeature of my invention consists in a 20 under those conditions the bulb may be eventuali `tubular member designed forergaging and proly shortened andthe capacity of its chamber con'. tecting the exhaust stem of a lamp and being sequently reduced. lAn object of the present in provided with stop means for limiting or detervention is tc make available a commercially pracmining the position of the bulb with 'respect to ticable method whereby the reclaiming operation the tubular member.l AThe latter may be utilized 25 ymay be effected without loss of material from'the as afname nozzle or 4a sand blast nozzle, or as bulb S0 that its Original Shape 'may be exactly a mount fora heating orchilling medium. For

'-reproduced,if desired, or surplus material vproexample, the'V tubular member may carry a cirvided to facilitate reshaping of the bulb and recularly-disposed wire adaptedto be electrically sealing of a new mount therein. heated and the insertion of the tubular means 3Q In carrying out the method of the present in intothefmount and, consequently, the loc'ation vention, the filament mount is parted or severed of the severingA line may conveniently be deteron a line-located above or within the line of juncmined by such stop means. It is believed that ture between the bulb and the flare of the mount. a stem protectingl member -of' this character has s that the ale DOItiOn 0f the m0101111?, 0r. a'rlm' never before been `used with the function of 35 of material including the flare portion of the.. presenting a locatingyand severing instrumenmount. is left as an integral part 0! the neck tality within the mount of an electric lamp. of the bulb. In other words-:the mount is severed It will be understodthat in severing or partalong aline or in a zone entirelyincluded within ing therv mount ras above outlined,` the opening 40 the body 0f the mOllnii'SOgll-ai the neck v'0f the formed in the bulb is in the first instance of in- 40 bulb is 11015 01115i left .intact but 1S PTO'Vided Wlth` suillcient size to permit the removal of the severed an inturned rim of additional material which portion of the, mount. Accordingly,`its proposed may Subsequently be shapedinto the neck of the to reshape the neck of 4the bulb and to enlarge bulb.A The replenishment o f the neck material the opening thereof after the severed portion of in this manner facilitatesfie'slaplng 0f the neck the mount has beenallowed to drop down inside 45 ofthe bulb without Aloss oilegth and permits the bulb and while it remains therein. The opthe manufacturer to reproduce the original shape eration of reshaping the neck of the bulb preof the bulb 'for as .manyreclaiming operations paratory to receiving a new mount enlarges the as maybe desired. `opening of the bulb to such an vextent that the The'preeise manner lof severing or parting the severed portion of the mount may thereafter be 50 mount;- isof secondary importance only. This readily removed: may bel successfully aeeomlished Aby directing These and other featuresoi the invention will a fine cutting ame-obliquely against the interior be best understood and appreciated from the folwall of thehollowmount or by cutting or scoring. lowing description of several. ways in which it may the mount by means of a sand blast, or by crackbe practiced and appropriate alternative mech- 68 shown in Fig. 1, the end of the exhaust tube -be understood that in 'heated and engaged 'mount about a line of contact, the .effect is locally anisms, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. l is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a burned-out electric lamp in positionto have its mount severed by a hot wire mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, on a smaller scale, suggesting the use of a, cutting llameV for parting or severing the mount or for heating it preparatory to local chilling; y Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a' portion of a bulb with chilling mechanism in position for severing or parting the mount; y

Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the step of reshaping the neck of the bulb after the mount has been parted or severed; Fig.` 5 is a similar view showingal form of nomle which may be employed either for sand blast or cutting llame; and

Fig. 6 is 'a sectional view on the line 6 6 of:

Fig. 5. l

In the drawing there is shown, more or less conventionally, a burned-out electric lamp comprising the bulb I0, into theneck of -whichls sealed a hollow mount I2 having a ange or iiare portion I4. From the inner end of the mount projects a iilament-supporting stem or post I6 and upon the end of this post is mounted a filament Il. Themount includes an exhaust stem 20 which extends axially and conc'entrically in the mount and isA curved at its inner end,..opening through theiwall of the mount into the interior oi the bulb. It will the ilgures of the drawing the metallic cap which usually encloses the neck end of the bulb is assumed to have been removed and the exhaust stem 20 to have been broken for the purpose of admitting atmospheric pressure to the interior of the :bul Lead-in wires 22v are shown as passing through the body of the mount and sealed into the inner end thereof. "Iheleadin wires and theexhaust stem 2l may be broken at any convenient point so that they will not interfere with the mechanism to be used ln carrying out the method of my invention. Y Y

Referring iirst to Fig. 1, which illustrates the hot wire for locally heating the mount, a tubular member 40 is employed which is equipped at its lower end with a block 42 of insulating material shaped at its outer face to correspond approximatelywith the contour of theend o! the lamp.

It is herein shown as provided with an .annular groove or recess to receive the ilare I4 of the mount 'and with an annular projecting portion 44 having a passage therein ol' the proper diameter to receive telescoplcally the end of the exhaust stem. 2li. Partially imbedded in the outer wall of the projecting portion 4 4 is a circular turn of wire '48 and-this extends, through suitable leads, to a service line 48 by which a heatingcurent may be supplied to the wire 46 when it has been properly positioned with respect to the mount I2, as shown in Fig. 1. When the wire 4l is thus intensely with the'inner wallof the to heat the mount in a narrow zone coinciding with the position of the wire 46.' As Shown in Fig. l, this is locatedat substantially the point where the cylindrical wall of the mount merges into the outwardly-extending flare but this point may be located as desired to fit the requirements of the particular bulbs presented Afor treatment. As

projects somewhat into the `er 42 and the lead-in as having been cut so passage of the memwires 22 are .represented that they lie entirely out of A jected obliquely theserver'lng'or -heldininverted contact with the projecting portion 44 of the insulating member.

InFig.2issuggestedtheuseoi'ailneilamel2 for locally heating'the mount. The name is profrom the jet or nozzle 30 against the inner wall oi the mount near the inner edge of the flare I4. In this instance, the bulb III is suitably supported and rotated while being subjected to the action of the ilame 32, and the latter is effective after a. few revolutions of the lamp to heat the mount so that it may be readily broken in subsequently chilling. In Fig. 4, the bulb is represented as in the condition which it presents immediately-upon the completion of the severing operation, and from this it will be seen substantial portion of the lflare of the mount remains intact as an annular rim 'extending inwardly from the periphery of the neck.

In Fig. 3 is suggested another alternative mechanism for performing the severing or parting operation upon the mount. In this instance, a stem or spindle 6I is provided with head 62 having an annular chamber for a cooling medium and from the head projects a tapered chilling tool $4. Thev latteris shaped to enter the annular space within the mount I2 and is provided with a tubular passage Si in its end designed to receive telescopically the end of the exhaust stem 2l of the lamp. The. chilling tool 64 is maintained at a relatively low temperature by circulation of a cooling-medi- .um through the head 62 and is designed to be brought into contact with the inner wall of the mount 20 after the latter has been heated to some.

extent 'I'he sudden contact of the cold chilling tool 64 with the heated glass of the mount causes the mount to break accurately about the line of contact. A

In Fig. 5 is shown a tubular nonle Ilv having an annular chamber 52 and provided with radial arms 5 4-whichserveasalimitstop todetermine theoperative position of the nozzle with respect to the end of the mount of the lamp. The homie is provided with a tubular projection or sleeve li designed to enclose the end of the exhaust stem 2l of the lamp and protect it during the severing operation as well as accurately to center the noazle. Theannular passage I2 is closed-by a ring having one or a series of thelineuponwhichitistobe'partedorsevered. Substantially this formfof may be employed either to direct iine sand under high presfor a sand blast, preferably onlyfa single passage ilisemployed. v

1Ashereinsuggested,itisdesimbletocarryout parting step whilel the lamp is positionsothatassoonasthe body of the mount isparted from itsflange the severed portion oi' themoun't may drop-intothe bulb in position entirely to clear the opening. Thebulb Il,assuggestedlnll'lg.4,maynowbe prented toreahaping or lreforming instrunentalities. Tothisendtbemountlssupportedi'or rotation in an inverted position and brought within range lori' ajet 'Il oraserlesotjetswhieh theendoftheneckandtheunsevered untilthesearebroughttoa Priortoorduringtheheating operation, asuitable reforming tool, such as the mirvedbar`l4,maybelntroducedintothebulb. 7

As herein shown, this is mounted in the lower end o f an operating rod-12. The rod 12 is actuated, by mechanism not herein shown, to move the reforming bar slowly upwardly' as the bulb I0 is revo1ved,thereby shaping or spinning the plastic material of the are I4 and of the end of the neck into the cylindrical shape indicated by dot and dash lines in enlarged to an extent permitting ready removal of the severed portion of the mount therefrom and advantage may be taken of this step to shape the end of the neck accurately for the reception .of the are of a new mount to be subsequently sealed thereinto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of reclaiming electric lamps and adding material to the neck of the bulbs, characterized by the steps of heating the hollow mount of the lamp in a zone inwardly of its line of juncture with the neck of the bulb, and cutting off the mount lwithout disturbing its position in the bulb in a line leaving a rim attached to the neck. f

, 2. A method of reclaiming electric lamps, characterized by the steps of heating the hollow mount of the lamp by a ame directed obliquely against its inner wall, and cutting off the mount Fig. 4. As will be ap-v parent, the effective opening of the bulb is thus above its line oi' juncture with the neck of the bulb while the mount remains in place within the bulb.

3. A method of reclaiming electric lamps, characterized by the steps of cutting the mount inwardly of its line of juncture with the neck of the bulb while the mount remains in place within the bulb, and replenishing the material of the bulb from that portion of the mount remaining attached thereto.

4. A method of reclaiming electric lamps, characterized by the steps of cutting the'mount inwardly of its line of juncture with the neck of the bulb while the mount occupies its original position in the bulb, enlargingthe opening in the bulb to permit removal of the severed portion of the mount, andreplenishing thev material of the neck from that portion of the mount remaining attached thereto.

5. A method of reclaiming electric lamps, characterized by the steps of cutting the mount inwardly of its line of juncture with the neck of the bulb, dropping the severed portion of the mount down inside the bulb, and simultaneously enlarging the opening of the bulb'to permit removal of the severed portion of the mount and Ireshaping the neck to include-the unsevered portion of the mount. l

ALBERT M. BUTLER. 

